VANCOUVER - Striking B.C. school teachers off the job since mid-June may soon get some financial help from another union.
The union representing about 1,800 BC Hydro workers is voting this week on whether to set aside a $100,000 loan for the teachers' union.
Local 378 of the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union says a fund to support its own job action currently stands at $200,000 but a new contract has recently been negotiated for BC Hydro members so they won't be needing the money any time soon.
Teachers across the province are out thousands of dollars in pay due to their ongoing strike, which has kept students out of school since two weeks before the summer break.
The B.C. Teachers' Federation continues to pursue binding arbitration to end its labour dispute, though Education Minister Peter Fassbender has already rejected the idea twice.
Teachers will vote Wednesday on whether they want a third-party settlement method, while Fassbender maintains the government is not considering any option other than a negotiated settlement.
